South Korea urges North to show sincerity in talks

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se says Pyongyang should first show signs of sincerity to resume six-party talks on nuclear disarmament.

“Our stance is that there should not be talks for the sake of talks and North Korea must show its sincerity to the international community by implementing its past denuclearization pledges,” Yun told reporters on Monday.

The remarks come in response to reports by Chinese media that North Korea is willing to resume talks over nuclear disarmament.

The six-party negotiations include Russia, China, the United States, Japan, South Korea and North Korea.

Washington and its allies in the region, Seoul and Tokyo, have questioned North Korea’s recent willingness to come back to the negotiating table, saying Pyongyang has no intention of giving up its nuclear weapons.

China has, however, expressed optimism about negotiations.

The Korean Peninsula has been locked in a cycle of escalating military rhetoric since March 1, when the US and South Korea began two months of joint military maneuvers, which included nuclear-capable B-52 and B-2 bombers.

Pyongyang has warned that if Washington and Seoul launch a preemptive attack, the conflict will develop into a nuclear war, adding that its military is prepared to attack “all US military bases in the Asia-Pacific region, including the US mainland, Hawaii, and Guam.”

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